Cherry is best known as the makers of coveted keyboard switches, the little switches that sit behind every key on your favorite input device. They are less known for making their own peripherals, which is why the Cherry KC 4500 Ergo is particularly interesting.
This full-size keyboard, as you can see above, is ergonomically designed for comfort. The keyboard is 18.70 x 8.53 x 1.39 inches and has no backlight.
The chiclet-style keys have a similar keystroke to MacBook keys and are quite quiet. The depth is satisfying, but the whole thing feels slightly mushy, which is what you’d like if you’re trying to take the pressure off your hands. While not my favorite style, they are absolutely comfortable to hold and very quiet.
The key switches are rubber dome, which means that they are not traditionally mechanical. This style is very similar to the switches in most laptop keyboards, so a MacBook’s transition should be fairly smooth.
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Now for the bad news. The keyboard doesn’t have an N-key rollover, which means you can only hold a few keys at a time. With most mechanical keyboards, you can easily hold down all four of the top rows – say “qwer” – then tap “ty” at the same time and get “qwerty”. In my tests, this keyboard supported up to four keys at the same time, and not very well. Don’t expect to do hardcore gaming or hit your fingers on a heavy nameplate and you’ll be fine.
While this model isn’t for everyone, it’s definitely worth checking out when compared to similar offerings like Microsoft’s $ 39 model and Logitech’s K350 Wireless Wave Keyboard, which costs more than $ 59.
The 4500 Ergo is absolutely built for comfort. If you’ve been banging on a mechanical keyboard for a while, this $ 45 keyboard is like giving your carpal tunnel a spa day. The built-in palm rest is soft and comfortable, the design is great, and the switches, while not quite the workhorses we’ve come to expect from Cherry, are better than most laptop keyboards. If you think of it as a way to take a break from standard keyboards, the 4500 Ergo is fine.